Friction-clutch.



No. 883,732. PATENTBD APR. v, 1908. VAN ZANDT M. MOORE. FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLIGATION IILED JAN.15;1906.

I 612 5:? g 1% Q n ,K Mm Wmwml spring is taken u by the bearing and dissi ZANDT MUMFORD MOORE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

j FRICTION-CLUTCH.

7 Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented April 7, 1908.

Application filed January 15, 1906. Serial No. 296,017.

caused to engagev and disengage without imparting any end thrusts to the bearings of either of the shafts to be connected thereby.

In auton'iobile clutches especially practice has demonstrated the convenience and desirability of having the spring set the clutch, a suitable pedal or lever being pro vided to release the clutch. In structures of this kind with which I have been familiar the end thrust of the spring has heentaken' by a suitable bearing, allowing the other end of the spring to-niaintaii'i the clutch set. In such an arrangeinent half of the force of the ated in useless riction, while the gripping ictionbetween the clutch members receives only the other half of the force. I M invention is designed to utilize the 'whofe force of the s ring in available gripping friction, where y I may obtain approximately twice as good a grip, other factors being equal, as with the old'style clutch.

In accomplishing the above. described I result, I provide-a driving or driven member havin two friction surfaces, and two other mem ers constituting a pair which are rotatable together and have relative longitudinal movement toward or from each other to grip or release the friction surfaces,

" v and I mount a spring between the members of such pair operating to force them apart and thereby into engagement with the friction surfaces, the end 'thrustof the spring bein entirely taken up by the movable mom ers. Suitable means are provided to- .counteract the spring force to release the clutch when desired.

In the-drawing, Figure 1', is a central gec tion of a clutch embodying i fid invention;

and Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, said view being sectioned in the plane indicated by line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The two shafts to be connected are indicated by A and B, of which referably the former is the driving and tie latter the driven shaft.

A wheel D is fixed. to shaft A, and on that side which is toward the other shaft there are two flanges d and (1 'whose inner surfaces are oppositely inclined conical surfaces concentric with said wheel. The wheel D may be of such size and'weight that it will serve as a fly wheel. Two disks E and G are carried by the alined shaft B and are longitudinally movable with respect thereto, but are oth compelled by reason of their connection with said shaft to rotate in unison with it.

Disk E is shown as having a long hub e which has atongiie and groove connection with shaft B, which permits it to move longitudinally thereon. On the outer periphery of disk E is a conical flange e formed for .en'

gagement with theconical surface d,and the flange c may have a facing e of leather or other suitable material secured thereon. The disk G, as shown, has also a hub g which embraces the hub c, and is movable thereon, there being a tongue and groove connection between said hubs which permits this movee ment but compels them to rotate together. At the outer periphery of disk G is a conlcal flange g shaped to fit the conical surface on flange d; and flange g ma have a facin g of leather or other suitab' e material. tween the two disks E and G is a spring C (or springs C as indicated by dotted lines) which exerts its force to thrust said disks 'apart, and thereby move them so that their conical flanges c and y will be forced into contact with the conical'surfaces d and d respectively. r

To separate the friction surfaces, the disks G and E are moved toward each other againstthe action of the spring. This may be accomplished in a variety of ways. Wheg a e hub e of the disk- E as shown in the raw -ings,'I may provide a collar .e on the end of the hub and suitable lever mechanism acting:

the disk .Gt-is mounted on an elo on the-disk Gt-{and collar to forcehthem in opposite In the construction the efi'ect of the spring.

- scares shown, this lever mechanism consists of the lever K having a yoke extending around the hub .c and pivoted to: some fixed support (not shown), the yoke carrying rollers hi adapted to engage the collar and As shown in Fig. 1 when the upper portion of the lever 7 is swung toward the right the roller K bears against the sur face 9 on the disk G andthe roller K against the collar 6 forcing such en aged surfaces apart and this moving the disxs toward each other and releasing the clutch. It will be seen. that as the collar e is adjustable on the hub e it may be set so that one of the rollers will engage before the other, thus releasing one clutch member in advance of the other. in such case, onrecngsgoment, one disk takes held before the other causing the gri ping forces to be progressively applied an increasing the ease of starting the driven member.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. in a friction clutch, the combination of i a pair of members having conical surfaces inchnirig in op osite directions, said members bein rotata le, together but movable to- War and from each other, a s rin tending to thrust said members into clutched position, a third member having two conical surfaces one of which encirclesthe other, rotatable together and adapted to be engaged by the respective members of the pair under the influence of the spring, and mechanism for moving the members of the pair in opposition to the spring to release the third member.

2. lhe combination of a member having an elongated hub, a second member surrounding said hub and slidable upon it, but compelled to rotate with it, spring means tending to change the proximity of said members to each other, a thirdmember with which each of the members of the pair may cooperate, and lever mechanism having rollers, one of which is adapted to'cngage a shoulder carried. by the hub and another of which is adapted to enga e a surfacemovable with the other member to counteract 3. In a friction clutch, in combination, a pair of members rotatable together but movable toward and from each other,-one of said members having an'elongated hub projecting throu h the other member, a spring between sai. members tending to thrust them apart, a third member having surfaces, one 0 said surfaces being inside the other, adapted to be engaged by the respective members of'the pair when so thrust apart, and mechanlsm acting on the hub and the member through which said hub projects and adapted to move such members in. opposition to the s ring to release the clutch,

41 he combination of a rotatable member gated hub, and lover mechanism acting between said. shoulder and the other conical member. i

5. In a friction clutch, the combination of a rotatable Wheel provided with two oppositely inclined conical friction surfaces,

shaft mounted in axial alinement with said Wheel, a disk having a hub. which embraces said shaft and has a tongue and groove connection therewith,-s aid disk being provided with a conical flange for engagement with one of the conical surfaces on said wheel, a second disk having a conical flange adapted for engagement with the other one of the conical friction surfaces on said wheel and provided with a hub which embraces the hub of the disk first named, and which has a tongue and groove connection therewith, a spring exerting its force, to thrust said disks into clutched position, and a lever engaging, on o posits sides of its pivot, with surfaces rigid y fastenedres actively to said disks.

6. In a friction c utch, a pair of oppositely facing members rotatable together but adapted to have theirproximitvto each other changed, sprin means tending to cause such change, a thir' member having flanges, one of'said flanges being outside the other, with which each member of the pair may cooperate when moved in'opposite directions, and 4 means for enabling the two members of the air to successively engage said third memer to make a progressive application of the clutching force.

7. In a friction clutch, in combination, a pair of oppositely facing conical members, rotatable together but movable toward and from each other, a spring between said members tending a; thrust them into clutched po- 8. The combination in a friction clutch, of

a pair of members rotatable together but movable toward and from each other, one of said members having an elongated hub projecting through the other member, an adjustable collar on said hub, lever mechanism pivoted independently of either of said members and adapted to act pro ressively on said col-- lar and the member sli able on the hub, and

a third member having flanges, one of which encircles the other with surfaces adapted to beengaged by the respective members of the air. I a

p 9. In a friction clutch, the combination of a rotatable member having an elongated hub, a second member surrounding said hub and slidable upon it, a collar screw-threaded on said hub, lever mechanism'having rollers, one of which is adapted to engage said collar and the other the member slidable on the hub, and a third member having friction surfaces adapted to be engaged by the two members mentioned.

10. In a frictionclutch, the combination of a pair of oppositely inclined conical clutch members rotatable together but movable toward and from each other, a third clutch -member having a pair of flanges encircling each other'with oppositely inclined engage: able faces with which the two members first mentioned may respectively engage, and an operating lever pivoted outside of said clutch mecliamsm and acting in opposite dlrections on the two members first mentioned.

11. In a friction clutch, a shaft, a rotating member mounted thereon, flanges on said membe one surrounding the other," the inner flange having its inner surface of conical shape, a frictional member mounted upon the outer flange, said frictional member being formed with a conical surface sloping in opposite direction to said first mentioned conical surface, a second shaft, members mounted to rotate therewith but capable of longitudinal movement thereon and with respect to each other, said members each having a conical surface to engage with the surfaces on the first mentioned rotatable members, and means for causingsaid sur" faces to engage and disengagel 12. In a friction clutch, a rotating member, flanges on said member, one surrounding the other, the inner flange having its inner surface of conical shape,- a frictional member removably mounted u on the outer flange, said frictional member eing'formed with a conical surface sloping in opposite direction to said first mentioned conical surface, two members extending one into the other and mounted to rotate together but capable of longitudinal movement with respect to eachother, said members each having a conical surface to engage with the surfaces on the first mentioned rotatable member, and means for causing such driving and driven surfaces to normally be in contact, and other means for releasing such contact.

13. In a friction clutch, a shaft, a rotatable member having flanges thereon one flange surrounding the other, a second shaft,

longitudinally movable wi: i' respect to said shaft and to each other, means for holding said members on the second mentioned shaft normally in engagement with the members on the first mentioned shaft, and regulable' means for causing the two members on the second shaft to engage the members on the first shaft at different times.

14. In a friction clutch,'a rotatable mem her having concentric oppositely inclined friction surfaces, one surrounding the other, a pair of conical frlction members rotatable -a spring between said members tending to force them apart to set them, and means for independently releasing the members-to the action of the spring.

16. In a friction clutch, a clutch member having a hub, a second clutch member slidably mounted upon said hub, said members telescoping one with the other, a third clutch member having friction surfaces adapted to be engaged by the clutcl1 1nembers, a spring to hold said members in clutched relation, and a leve'n o'rvoted outside the clutch mechanism having rollers and adapted to engage the first and second clutch members to release the clutch.

17. In a friction clutch, in combination, a pair of telescoping clutch members having oppositely inclining conical friction periph cries, a third clutch member having two con.- ical friction surfaces which said peripheries are'adapted to engage respectively, said frietion surfaces one surrounding the other and the inner surface being on a member projectingbetween said two conical peripheries.

18. In a friction clutch, in combination, a pair of telescoping clutch members having oppositely inclining conical friction peripheries, athird clutch member having two conical friction surfaces which said peripheries are adapted to engage respectively, said friction surfaces one surrounding the other and the inner surface being on a member projecting between said two conical peripheries, and the-outer friction surface being carried by an annular member removably held on said third member. I

v 19! In -a friction clutch, in combination, a pair of telescoping clutch members having oppositely inclining conical friction peripheries, a third clutch member having two con- A seepee ical fix' ict ion surfaces which said' perig'iheries forcing said members in the' epposite direc- 10 are adapted to engage respectlvely, said tion. I e I friction surfaces one sqrrounding the other In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my end the inner surface bemg on a, member prosignature in the presence 0f two witnesses.

jeeting between said two conical peripheries a spring between said pair of telescoping; VAN LANDT MUMmRD MOORE members tending to force them apart and Witnesses:

,into engagement with said friction surfaces, E. L. Tlitms'roN,

and mechanism exterior of said members for E. B. GELOHRIST. 

